Bushwick Arts Festival Weekend
Opens June 1
Artist-run event brings together a bourgeoning new community
The Bushwick Open Studios & Arts Festival will take place June 1 through June 3 in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The festivities will kick off with a party Friday night, followed by two days of art and community activities. On Saturday and Sunday, dozens of artists will open their studios to the public, and arts and community organizations and neighborhood businesses will present a range of events. Performances, panels, a parade, and music will be staged throughout the weekend, culminating in a film screening and community BBQ on Sunday night.
Bushwick Open Studios is a self-organized art festival. Anyone in the community is welcome to participate by presenting art work or organizing activities, or by helping to produce the event. The purpose of the festival is to create an open and inclusive event that benefits the entire community by sharing artistic projects and encouraging community interaction and dialogue.
During last year’s fall Open Studio day, 120 artists participated and hundreds of other artists, community residents, and visitors attended. This year, organizers expect a substantial increase in participation, due to the bourgeoning Bushwick artistic community and greater involvement of long-time Bushwick residents.
New activities this year will include more performance events, more outdoor events, and a series of facilitated discussions and panels. These will focus on the past, present, and future of the Bushwick community, the role of the arts in Bushwick and other neighborhoods in New York City, and the issue of gentrification and sustainability in the area.
The festival is organized by volunteers under the name Arts in Bushwick, in cooperation with other area nonprofits, arts organizations, and businesses. The festival builds on the success of a number of open studios days and other events that have taken place in Bushwick over the last several years. It represents the collective effort of dozens of artists and other Bushwick residents who seek to create a forum for Bushwick locals to connect with each other, celebrate our community, and share work with each other and the public.
In the past decade, thousands of artists have moved to Bushwick, attracted by inexpensive studio and live/work space in the neighborhood’s formerly industrial buildings. Over time, a large and diverse creative community has developed in this little-known neighborhood, which continues to grow and thrive as a vibrant artistic and cultural center. The Bushwick Open Studios & Arts Festival developed organically from the energy of artists and community residents in the neighborhood, dozens of whom have committed their time, skills, and resources to producing this year’s festival.
For information about participating artists, a schedule of events, press about past events, and other information, please go to www.artsinbushwick.org
